Under the Stars
by Tigeresssa
Summary: What if someone else had joined Jim on his journey to finding Treasure Planet? An inspiration from a friend and I had to write it down! Don't worry I won't change any of the original plot! Just adding an OC that's all : Jim/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello Everyone! Tigeresssa here!**

**So I thought it would be interesting to add another character to the original plot and give it a go...if you hate it that's fine with me :)**

**But Here it is! It starts from the Solar surfing scene at the beginning after the introduction of the Treasure Planet myth in the movie and goes on from there :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Treasure Planet...but I don't...Disney does...*mutters under breath***

**ENJOY! **

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The girl smiled as she adjusted her solar surfer, the wind blowing wildly at her black hair. Jim was coming up behind her.

He suddenly sped up into the sky. She followed and watched as he retracted the sail and began free falling.

The girl's solar surfer sped next to Jim who was spinning in intricate twists as he neared the dusty ground.

She pulled her solar surfer up when she got too close to the ground; she noticed Jim still hadn't pulled back his sail yet. She closed her eyes tight as Jim fell dangerously closer to the ground. In the blink of an eye, Jim pulled out his sail and shouted in exhilaration as his surfer righted itself at the last minute.

The girl opened her eyes to see Jim surfing very close to the ground. He gave her a smirk.

"Show off!" the girl shouted at him as they raced towards the old mining site.

Twisting around and over the old buildings, they made their way through the area. Jim and Kate noticed the old rusty digging wheel turning ahead of them. The girl pulled her surfer over the wheel. Jim however didn't.

"Jim!" the girl cried as he retracted his sail.

"Come on!" Jim shouted at the wheel. Jim sailed straight through one of the small openings in the wheel, narrowly avoiding danger. He pulled his sail up next to Kate's.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. They both sped forward and began racing each other back to the Benbow Inn.

Their expressions dropped when they heard the sound of sirens. Kate turned around briefly to see two police-bots tailing them.

She heard Jim sigh. "Ugh…great," he mumbled. Kate threw a worried glance at Jim as they slowed down their solar surfers. _This is not going to go down well with his mother…_she thought.

The Benbow Inn

"Mrs. Hawkins!" called an old alien eating in the corner.

"I know! Refill on the purp juice. Coming right up Mrs. Dunnwoody!" called Sarah, the Benbow Inn keeper, as she took a tray of food for her next customers.

"There we go. That's four powdered sphere-roids, three lunar eclipses and a big bowl of Zarellion jelly worms, for the big boy. Enjoy!" she said cheerily as she served the customers their orders. She then served her old friend Dr. Delbert Dubbler.

"Sorry Delbert! It's been a madhouse in here all morning!" she sighed as she put down a bowl of food and water at Delbert's table.

"No problems Sarah," Delbert reassured. Sarah quickly went to the kitchens to get more food that was ordered. Sarah sighed as she thought about her son.

She turned around again to go pick up finished dishes. She saw a little frog girl skipping away from Delbert's table. Oblivious to Delbert's previous alarm.

"Aww! They're so adorable at that age!" Sarah sighed.

"Oh yes…deplorable-uh adorable. Speaking of which, how's Jim doing?" Delbert asked, taking off his napkin.

"Much better! I know he's had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think he's starting to turn a corner," Sarah replied picking up a large pile of dirty dishes.

Suddenly the front door burst open, revealing two police-bots and a guilty looking Jim and Kate.

"Mrs. Hawkins," one of the police-bots addressed Sarah. She dropped the plates she was holding in alarm, making a loud smashing noise which made Kate involuntarily wince.

"Jim!?" she gasped.

Delbert put a hand to his head between him and the scene, murmuring, "Ooh…wrong turn…"

Jim shrugged his shoulders out of the police-bots grasp and took hold of Kate's arm pulling her out as well. "Okay! Thanks for the lift guys!" Jim tried to say casually, hoping Sarah wouldn't worry too much.

"Not so fast!" said the police-bot, grabbing both the teen's shoulders again. Jim's face fell. Kate threw him a sympathetic gaze.

"We apprehended your son and daughter operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area," informed the second police-bot.

The other continued, "Moving violation: 9-0-4, Section 15, Paragram-erm…"

"Six," Jim finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Thank-you."

"Don't mention it."

Sarah looked exasperatedly at her son, "Jim!"

Jim stared at his mother's tired face. There was so much disappointment in her gaze that Jim couldn't meet her eyes anymore.

Kate noticed this and gave Jim's hand a small squeeze to try and reassure him.

"As you are aware ma'am, this constitutes a violation of your son's probation. If we catch your daughter again she will also be placed under probation," said the second police-bot.

Sarah came forward, "Yes, yes I understand. Um- but Kate isn't my daughter and um- could- we just-" she began pleading but Delbert cut in with a throat clearing.

"Um- Pardon me, officer. If I might – erm – interject here- I'm am the noted physicist Dr. Delbert Dubbler, perhaps you've heard of me? No? I have a clipping-"

Jim looked at Kate with a gaze that said, 'I'm-really-over-this'.

"Are you the boy's father?" asked a police-bot.

Both Sarah and Delbert began stuttering and nervously laughing.

"No! I mean-"

"No good heavens no-"

"Ew! He's just an old friend of the family."

"BACK OFF SIR!" the police-bots shouted in unison, making Delbert jump in surprise.

Sarah rushed to his side, giving a nervous glance at the police-bots, "Thank-you Delbert. But I will take it from here."

Recovering from his initial shock, he replied, "Well- Sarah if you insist…"

Before he went back to his table he whispered, "Don't ever let me do that again!"

Sarah gave a small smile at him which didn't last long.

"Due to repeated violations of statute 15 C, we have impounded their vehicles. Anymore slip-ups from the boy will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall," said the bot, not wanting to waste anymore time. Kate, sensing Jim's distress bowed her head in shame. She knew about the probation and she could have told Jim to avoid the old mining site… but she did nothing…

The police-bots pushed the two out of their grasp.

"Thank-you officers," Sarah said, catching both the teens and looking them both in the eye. "It won't-happen-again." Jim looked at his feet.

"We see their type all the time ma'am."

"Wrong choices."

"Dead-enders."

"Losers."

Jim and Kate, catching their last comment, stared up to glare at the monotone-bots.

Kate's eyes flashed and Jim scowled.

"You take care now!"

"Let's motor."

And with a shut of the door, they were gone. Sarah turned and saw all her customers staring in their direction. Realizing they'd been seen eavesdropping, they all quickly resumed acting natural.

Sarah turned to her son and Kate who were both looking at the ground.

"Jim. I have had it!"

Jim looked away.

"Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall is that it?" Sarah asked.

Jim walked away and picked up an empty tray lying on the shelf. Kate bit her lip and began helping to pick up the pieces of smashed plates on the floor, her eyes still on Jim and his mother.

"Jim. Jim? Look at me," Sarah continued. Jim continued packing up dishes, seemingly ignoring her.

"It's been hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you-" she said gesturing at the inn before Jim interrupted.

"Mum. It's no big deal! There was nobody around! Those cops just won't get off my-"

Sarah put her hand on her hips, disbelief showing clearly on her face. Jim stopped talking.

"Forget it," he mumbled.

"Mrs. Hawkins! My juice!" called Mrs. Dunnwoody, shaking her empty glass.

"Yes I'll be right there Mrs. Dunnwoody!" Sarah called back before turning back to Jim. "Jim. I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future!"

Jim watched his mother as she went to go serve Mrs. Dunnwoody. Kate came by his side with her arms full of shattered porcelain.

"Yeah, what future?" Kate heard Jim mutter as he entered the kitchen.

Kate bit her lip and threw the plate fragments in the bin. She watched nervously as Jim began angrily washing the filthy plates. She quickly came over next to him and began helping to dry off the clean plates and put them on the shelf. Once they were done she turned to Jim.

"I'm so sorry Jim…I-"

Jim interrupted, "Kate. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is! I could've…I could've…" she fell short of words and stared at Jim's distant expression. Kate knew him too well. Jim wasn't going to listen to anything she'd have to say right now…he was _that_ depressed at the moment.

"Never mind…" she mumbled sadly. Jim nodded and went out the back door. Kate watched through the window as Jim climbed onto the roof.

She sat down staring into the distance as she wondered about the many ways she could make Jim feel better. His solar surfer had been confiscated so, no solar surfing…He definitely would not stomach any purp-cake tonight…She then remembered how Jim reached out to her all those years ago.

_Flashback_

"Welcome to the Benbow Inn!" greeted Jim's mother. A four year old Kate stood behind her own mother, clinging to her skirts. Jim's mother crouched down to Kate's eye-level.

Kate hid further into her mother's skirts.

"What's your name little one?" Sarah asked. Kate looked out a little and replied in the softest of whispers.

"Kate."

"You know Kate? I have a son your age. His name is Jim. Would you like to meet him?" Sarah asked. Kate just hid into the folds of the skirt again.

"Kate and I are Animorphs. We can change into different kinds of animals," her mother explained. Kate knew that her mother was proud of being an Animorph.

Sarah nodded her head in understanding.

"Mum! Look what I found!" shouted a boy from behind Sarah. A small boy with short brown hair and huge blue eyes came out holding a pirate toy. The boy noticed the green eyed girl with black hair hiding behind her mother's skirts.

"That's great sweetie!" Sarah praised her son before turning back to her guests.

"Jim, this is Mrs. Zoolary and her daughter Kate. Say hello Jim," Sarah instructed.

"Hello Mrs. Zoolary!" said Jim, eyes never leaving the strangely shy girl behind her.

Later in the afternoon, Kate sought solitude outside and sat on a barrel sitting by the pier.

Jim, who was playing outside, noticed Kate and ran down to her. Shyness getting the better of her, Kate hid behind the barrel.

Jim crouched down and held out a hand to her.

"Come on out! I won't hurt you," said Jim, trying to coax Kate out of her little ball of fear.

Kate going wide eyed suddenly transformed into a mouse, her clothes lying around her.

Jim just smiled and put his hand out further.

"Come on," he said, looking at Kate as if nothing happened. Kate was caught completely off-guard however because in the four years that she'd lived, people were always shocked or disgusted at whatever she turned into, muttering things like 'filthy animals'. Sometimes it wasn't her fault…Animorphs when feeling strong emotions or stress would involuntarily change into an animal.

Cautiously, she crept onto Jim's hand and looked up at him. She watched and listened as Jim talked on and on about Treasure Planet; a story that she'd hear many more times over in the future than she could count. Once he'd finished telling her about the planet, he asked her, "What does flying feel like? One day, I'd like to find Treasure Planet! And I'll get a crew and we'll go all the way in one of those flying boats! You'll come with me right?" he asked, looking hopefully at her. Kate, still in a mouse form blinked at her new found friend and nodded.

_End of Flashback_

Since that day, Kate had travelled often to the planet Montressor to visit Jim and gradually becam less shy. Although she was still rather quiet and didn't really open up, she and Jim became close friends.

Jim had accepted her despite her Animorph heritage and just talked with her.

The only problem though…was that Kate had accepted Jim long ago and now, after so much happening, she didn't know how to get Jim talking again.

Sighing in defeat, she decided that it would be best if she let Jim sort it out for a little bit first and then she'd try and approach…until that time…she'd help Mrs. Hawkins until closing hours.

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**A/N: Sorry it was so long...I hope you don't mind me adding an OC to the plot line... :)**

**And yes...I have memorised all of the police-bot dialogue :) I pretty much know every line there is in Treasure Planet :P**

**I hope you liked it! :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello Everyone! Tigeresssa here!**

**Alrighty! Next chappie! So I've done a rough outline of what I'm going to do and it came up with about 12 chappies!**

**Massive thanks to NeverTooLate03, delphigirl689 and my anonymous reader for your reviews! :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Treasure Planet...but I don't...Disney does...*incoherent cursess***

**ENJOY! **

* * *

Kate sighed as she heaved another pile of dirty plates into the sink. She had been working for a good two hours already _and _she was doing Jim's work aswell. Not that she cared that she was doing two people's work…she was just exhausted after solar surfing, being apprehended by police officers and going back and forth between tables and the kitchens. Kate gave a small worried glance to the ceiling. Jim was still on the roof after all this time. She could hear small plinking sounds coming from the roof and she figured it was still him chucking rocks onto the tiled roof. She heard low rumbling outside and saw a flash of lightning. _Jim had better come off that roof before the storm comes…_she thought vaguely.

Kate then smiled as she realised that the inn had finally closed for the day. Only Delbert was left sitting at the tables, pouring over some astrology book. She overheard Sarah and Delbert's conversation through the kitchen doors.

"I really don't know how you manage it Sarah…trying to run a business with a felon-like, felon fellow - fellow like – Jim," said Delbert.

"Managing it? I'm at the end of my rope! Ever since his father left – well – Jim's just never recovered. And you know how smart he is. He built his first solar surfer when he was eight! And yet he's failing at school, he is constantly in trouble and when I talk to him he's like a stranger to me…"

Kate bit her lip and decided to take the trash out. As she put the rubbish in the dumpster, her sensitive ears picked up a loud whirring sound coming from above her. Looking up she saw a huge spaceship hurtling towards the pier, black smoke trailing behind it.

With a huge bang it crashed into the Benbow Inn Pier. Kate saw Jim jump off the roof and run towards the broken ship. She quickly dropped the bin and chased after him.

"Hey mister? Mister you're okay in there right?" Jim asked, knocking on the door of the ship. The smell of smoke and gas reached Kate, making her scrunch up her nose.

Suddenly a large scaly, clawed hand reached out to the glass startling Jim and Kate. Kate could hear hoarse breathing behind the glass.

The door to the ship opened and an old salamander and an even older chest fell out with him. The salamander coughed then grabbed the front of Jim's shirt. Kate gasped and tried pulling Jim out of the salamander's grasp.

"He's a comin'," the old alien warned. He leaned in closer to Jim, "Can yer 'ear him? Those gears and gyros clicking and whirling like the devil 'imself?"

Finally letting go of Jim, the alien turned to pick up his chest.

"Uh…Hit your head pretty hard there, didn't ya?" Jim said staring at the rather troubled salamander.

"He's after me chest…that fiendish _cyborg _and his band of cutthroats_. _But they'll have to pry it from ol' Billy Bones cold dead fingers before I-" the salamander stopped in his words in a fit of strangled breathing. Jim quickly moved to the salamander's side.

"Uh – Come on give me your arm!" he said, putting the old salamander's huge arm over his shoulders. Kate following suit went around to the other side of the salamander and did the same, carrying the chest for the old alien.

"Good kids," the old alien managed to say quietly as the three stumbled towards the Benbow Inn.

"Mum's gonna love this," Jim said sarcastically as it began to rain.

Kate inhaled softly as she noticed that the salamander's heart was beating quietly and irregularly. The alien didn't have long to live…

Sarah switched the windows to a sunny field of flowers.

"Thanks for listening Delbert," she said as Delbert was packing up. Sarah sighed as she sat down, "It helps."

Delbert put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

Sarah pulled out her locket and began flicking through the holograms, "I keep dreaming one day I'll open that door, and there he'll be, just the same as the way he was. A smiling happy little boy, holding a new pet, and begging me to let him keep it," she said laughing at the image of Jim holding a purple alien above his head.

Delbert opened to door to see Jim and Kate supporting up an old alien. Sarah gasped as the three stumbled into the inn, "James Pleiades Hawkins!" she shouted.

"Mum he's hurt! Bad!" Jim said to her as the salamander collapsed on the floor. Delbert quickly shut the door after them.

The salamander spoke to Jim, "Me chest lad," he gasped reaching towards the chest next to Jim.

When he could reach the chest, he began unlocking the code, "He'll be coming soon. We can't let them find this!" The alien took out the contents of the chest.

Kate was growing uncomfortable; she could hear the warning in the alien's voice and his quickly fading heartbeat.

"Who's coming?" asked Jim before he was roughly pulled to the salamander's level.

The alien whispered his last words to Jim, "The cyborg! Beware the cyborg!"

The salamander gave a few strangled gurgles as he fell to the floor, no longer breathing. Jim stared at the dead salamander holding a wrapped round object, the alien had given him.

Suddenly a strange light filled the Benbow Inn. Kate's instincts prickled as the group tried to locate the source of the light. They all heard the sounds of a ship landing just outside the Inn's doorstep. Creeping carefully up to the window, Jim unwound a tiny sliver of the blinds and peered out. Seeing the silhouettes of a man holding up a cannon, he turned and ran towards his mother and Kate.

"Quick we gotta go!" he shouted as he pulled the two girls up the stairs. Delbert curious about the newcomers went to open the door just as the cannon fired.

"I believe I'm with Jim on this one!" he cried, following after the others.

A shot from the cannon hit one of the lamps, setting the ground on fire. The door burst open and a number of pirates came into the inn, flipping over tables meanwhile Delbert opened a large window from upstairs and called out to his alien carriage driver.

"Delilah! Stay! Don't move!" he instructed before climbing onto the window sill.

"Jim!" Kate cried as she saw the pirates coming up the stairs. She turned to see Delbert helping Sarah onto the edge of the 'sill.

"Don't worry Sarah! I'm an expert in the laws of physical science! Now on the count of three…one…"

"THREE!" Jim shouted as he pushed the two out of the window. Jim jumped off after them and Kate, realising there wasn't enough room for four, transformed into a cat and landed on Sarah's lap.

Picking up the reins, Delbert set Delilah speeding away from the burning inn.

Sarah looked around the carriage to see her beloved inn in flames. Turning back to the road ahead, she began crying. Kate not knowing what else to do began licking Sarah's hand to try and reassure her.

Jim took out the wrapped package from Bones' chest and revealed what was in the package. Inside was a strange bronze sphere. Jim spent the rest of the ride staring at the sphere.

When they got back to Delbert's house, Kate turned into a horse and ran back to see how much damage had been dealt to the inn. Sarah sat by the fire, staring into the flames while Jim and Delbert stared at the strange sphere waiting for Kate's report.

When Kate returned, she found a small closet to get changed back into her normal clothes that she'd found lying by the side of the road. She then told Delbert what she'd seen.

Delbert brought took a blanket and walked over to Sarah. Kate came over and sat by the fire aswell to inspect the damage to her clothes.

"I just spoke with the constabulary. Those haggard pirates have fled without a trace," Delbert announced. "I'm sorry Sarah. It seems the old Benbow Inn has burned to the ground," he said gently as Jim put the blanket around his mother's shoulders. Jim looked like he was about to say something but walked away instead and picked up the sphere.

Delbert cleared his throat and said, "Well, it's certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere. Those markings baffle me…"

Kate realising she'd need new clothes because the skirt of the ones she'd found by the inn had been scorched rather badly, came over to see what Jim was doing.

Delbert continued, "Unlike anything I've ever encountered…"

Jim began pressing the circles on the sphere. Suddenly the circles shrank into the ball.

"…even with my vast experience and superior intellect…"

Jim began swivelling sections of the sphere along its markings. Kate watched intently, fascinated by how quickly Jim was figuring it out.

"…it would take me years to unlock its – hey!" Delbert scolded as the sphere suddenly began emitting a strange green light.

Kate unsettled pressed her back up against a book shelf as the light began forming a hologram of the stars.

"It's a map!" Delbert gasped as the light stopped shifting. He paused and looked at the image of a little planet to his side, "W-w-wa-wait! This is us, the planet Montressor!"

He touched the image and the map gave a little pulse as it began moving quickly around them.

"That's the Medulenic cloud! The Coral galaxy! And that's the Cygnus cross and the Cerrion Abyss and wait what's this?" he slowed down as the map came to a halt.

Kate and Sarah gasped.

"Why! It's…"

"…Treasure Planet!" Jim finished.

"No!"

Jim's eyes widened, "That's Treasure Planet!"

"Flint's trove? The loot of a thousand worlds? Do you know what this means?!" Delbert cried.

"It means that all that treasure is only a boat ride away," Jim answered.

"Whoever brings it back, would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers…he'd be able to experience-"

The map suddenly disappeared back into the sphere.

"Oh! What just happened?" Delbert asked as he was snapped out of his monologue.

Jim ignored Delbert, "Mum! This is it! This is the answer to all our problems!"

Sarah sighed and put a hand to her forehead, "Jim. There is absolutely no way-!"

"But don't you remember all those stories?"

"That's all they were! _Stories_!"

"With that treasure, we could rebuild the Benbow a hundred times over!"

Sarah was still not convinced, "Well this is – i-it's ju- oh my – Delbert would you please explain how ridiculous this is?" she pleaded looking at Delbert.

"It's totally preposterous traversing the entire galaxy alone!" he stated straightening up.

Jim rolled his eyes and Kate giggled.

"Now at last we hear some sense!" Sarah said happily.

However Delbert wasn't finished, "That's why I'm coming with you!"

Sarah looked disbelievingly at her friend who'd somehow pulled a bag out of nowhere, "Delbert!"

Jim smiled as the old dog began packing random objects from the room.

"I'll use my savings to finance the expedition! I'll commission a ship! Hire a captain and a crew!" he said excitedly as he climbed an unimaginably high pile of books for his toothbrush.

"You're not serious?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"All my life I've been waiting for an opportunity like this and now here it is screaming…Go Delbert! Go Delbert! Go-"

"Okay! Okay! You're _both_ grounded!" Sarah told the two boys.

"Mum look. I know I keep messing everything up, and I know – that I let you down," Jim said sadly. "But this is my chance to make things up to you! I'm gonna set things right!"

Sarah bit her lip and looked at Jim's hopeful expression.

Delbert called Sarah over, a little ways away from Jim and Kate, "Sarah, if I may. You said yourself, you've tried _everything. _There are much worse remedies than a few character building months in space."

"Are you saying this because it's the right thing or because _you _really want to go?" Sarah said with a small smile.

"I really, really, really, _really _want to go. And it's the right thing."

Sarah walked over to Jim. "Jim. I don't want to lose you," she sighed combing through his hair with her hand.

Jim clasped his hands over his mother's, "Mum…you won't. I'll make you proud."

Sarah gave her son a smile, he was starting to sound like her Jim again.

After Delbert announced they were going to the spaceport in the morning, he showed everybody to their rooms.

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**A/N: I hope you like the story as of yet :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!:DREVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello Again! Tigeresssa here!**

**I love Holidays :) Don't you? Sorry it took so long but I wrote the whole thing out and then before I could save, my computer decided to have a spastic fit and I had to rewrite the whole *insert word of choice* thing AGAIN! **

**Anyways, here's the next chapter of the story and it's the longest chapter I've ever written on FanFiction!**

**Thanks to delphigirl689, OceanFire9, warsucksiknow, Pirategirl Zara4598, KittenKez and Cerridwen Maiden for your awesome reviews! :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Treasure Planet, I would be rich...but I'm not...*more incoherent curses***

**ENJOY! **

* * *

Jim marvelled at the space port. There were so many different people and aliens from all over the galaxy that he figured it would be near impossible to make a list of the different races.

Delbert's muffled voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Jim? Uh Jim? Wait for me!" he called as he wandered out of the Montressor Shuttle wearing a completely ridiculous explorer's suit.

Jim sighed and stared up at the sky. They were never going to get anywhere if Delbert slowed them down like this.

"Well Jim, this should be a wonderful opportuniy to get to know one another! You know what they say, familiarity breeds...um...well contempt but in our case-"

"Look let's just find the ship. Okay?" Jim laughed leaving the Doctor to stare dumbfounded where Jim was standing.

Jim on the other hand looked out for a remotely reliable person that could point the two in the right direction.

They came across a notice board with a map of all the ports listed. Jim gave up on the map after realising that there were thousands of ports to go through, and began heading off in a different direction.

Jim was listening to the Doctor's ramblings about the crew he'd hired when he suddenly crashed into someone.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" said the person. Jim saw the person was in fact a girl about his height in a long hooded white coat.

"Don't worry about it! I wasn't paying attention," Jim said lazily. The girl looked up at him.

Jim and Delbert gaped when they saw who it was.

"Kate?" they asked in disbelief. Kate laughed at their expressions and took the hood off.

After she stopped laughing she spoke in a normal tone, "I'm glad I finally found you! I thought I'd never catch up to you guys and miss the ship!"

"I thought I told you to stay on Montressor!" scolded Delbert.

Kate just smiled, "You did, but the problem is, I was already a part of this voyage twelve years ago."

Delbert looked confused while Jim smiled as he remembered the promise she'd made years back, "I'm glad you're coming Kate."

Delbert was still unconvinced, "What will your mother say?"

"She was the one who reminded me that I'd decided to come! She's on her way to the port headed to our home planet right now," Kate informed them.

Unable to find another way to convince Kate otherwise, Delbert sighed his defeat. They began to continue to search for directions.

Finally they came across two janitorial aliens that gave him correct directions.

Kate suddenly processed what the Doctor was wearing and kept sending him confused glances.

"It's the suit isn't it?" asked Delbert, catching up to them. Jim groaned...he was going to begin ranting again.

"I should have never listened to that pushy, two-headed saleswoman! This one said it fit, that one said it was my colour! I don't know, I get so flustered!" Delbert rambled before bumping into Jim who had stopped walking.

Kate giggled as Jim threw a death glare at the Doctor.

Delbert gasped, "Jim, Kate this is our ship, the _RLS Legacy_!"

He announced gesturing to the ship anchored at the port before them.

"Whoa!" Jim breathed. Kate was first to snap out of the awestruck moment.

"Come on! Let's go!" Kate cried. She grabbed Jim's arm and pulled him forwards. Jim stared bewildered at Kate. She was not in the least bit quiet or shy like she usually was.

They all boarded the boat, Jim and Kate began taking in every detail of the vessel around them.

"How cool is this?" Jim asked Kate before crashing into an alien shipmate and stepping on its tail. "Oh sorry 'bout that I didn't mean it!"

The alien glared indignantly at his trodden-on tail and began verbally abusing Jim in it's native tongue...which consisted of blowing a series of farting noises in his face. Jim - not amused - blew his ruffled bangs out of his eyes meanwhile Kate was doing her best not to completely burst out laughing.

Delbert appeared beside Jim, "Allow me to handle this," he said.

Then the doctor faced the alien and began making a bunch of farting noises himself. Jim and Kate waited anxiously to see if the Doctor really knew what he was doing.

The alien, caught completely by surprise, then gave a reply that looked like he was saluting the Doctor.

Delbert seeing the teenager's amazed expressions smiled smugly, "I'm fluent in Flatula kids, I did two years of it in high school," he explained before walking ahead, farewelling the alien on his way.

"Flatula. Cool."

Kate turned to Jim, "Hey how long do you reckon this voyage is going to take?"

"Who knows? Why are you so excited?" Jim asked, genuinely curious as to why Kate was acting so differently.

Kate gave him a warm smile, "I'm not sure but I think it's going to be great! After years of having to listen to _you_ go on and on about this, I can't wait to finally see it!"

Jim changed subject, "So where'd you get that coat anyway?"

Kate raised an eyebrow and looked down at her clothing, "This? My mum gave it to me before we said our goodbyes. See look at this!"

Kate then changed into a dog. Generally whenever Kate turned into an animal, her clothes would just come off or break depending on what animal she morphed into. For Kate, it was exceedingly embarrassing, because an Animorph doesn't morph back into a human wearing the clothes they were wearing last. Kate turned human again, still wearing the clothes she had on before.

"The coat was designed on my home planet to reappear with my clothes when I change back into a human! I don't know how but I'm loving it! Saves me a lot of trouble if you don't mind me saying so," Kate said smiling. Jim shook his head. It was amazing to him how easily her emotions were swayed simply by a new item of clothing.

Delbert then addressed a crew member who looked like the captain, "Excuse me - uh Captain, everything ship-shape?"

The 'Captain' turned and answered, "Ship-shape indeed sir, but I'm not the Captain. The Captain's aloft," he said pointing the three upwards.

Looking up, they saw a blue and white figure climbing and somersaulting down from the front mast. The figure after somersaulting off the last rigging landed in front of the group. Before the others could focus on the person in front of them, the Captain began rattling off observations to the shipmate formerly believed to be Captain.

"Mr. Arrow, I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual...it's _spot-on_. Can you get nothing wrong?" the Captain said. She appeared to be a strict and well-respected feline, and from Kate's observations, wore some sort of floral perfume...

The shipmate now known as Mr. Arrow gave a small bow, "You flatter me Captain."

The Captain gave Mr. Arrow a quick wink before noticing the Doctor.

"Ah! Doctor _Dubbler _I presume?"

"Ah - well - yes - I - uh"

"Hello? Can you hear me?" the Captain asked knocking on the Doctor's helmet.

The Doctor getting irritated shouted, "Yes I can! Stop that Banging!"

The Captain, acting oblivious to the Doctor's protests, began looking thoughtfully at the Doctor's suit whilst Delbert tried in vain to take off the helmet.

"If I may Doctor," she began grabbing hold of the suit. "This, works so much better when it's right way up and plugged in! Lovely there you go!"

Kate giggled. She found it completely hilarious watching the two bicker almost childishly.

Delbert finally managed to take the helmet off and unplugged himself, "If you don't mind I can manage my own plugging!"

Again ignoring Delbert the Captain shook the Doctor's hand and introduced herself, "I'm Captain Amelia, late of the few Proteon Armada. Nasty business but I won't bore you with my scars."

Captain Amelia turned to Mr. Arrow, "You've met my first officer Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, denpendable, honest, brave and true."

"Please, Captain."

"Oh shut up Arrow, you know I don't mean a word of it!" said the Captain jokingly.

The Doctor cleared his throat, "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt this - lovely banter, but may I introduce to you Kate Zoolary, and Jim Hawkins-"

He stepped aside to reveal Kate and Jim...who was currently busy observing the preparations for take-off, unaware of the fact that he was currently being presented to the Captain. Kate gave him a rough elbow to the gut to make him pay attention. Jim winced slightly in pain before facing the Captain.

Delbert continued, "Jim you see, is the boy who found the treasure-"

He was cut short by the Captain who quickly grabbed his cheeks with a clawed hand.

"Doctor! Please-" she scolded, throwing a glance at a burly looking crewman who was glaring at them. Kate, making eye-contact with the alien, shivered, noticing the dark malice lingering in his gaze.

Once the alien had stalked off, the Captain continued, "I'd like a word with you in my State Room," she said, flicking Delbert's glasses.

Captain Amelia and Mr. Arrow headed off towards the room. Delbert followed with a huff.

Jim and Kate looked at each other, both knowing that something was weird.

Kate looked around the rather large State Room. It was bright and rather unnaturally clean for a room on a ship. The Captain had many maps and other navigation devices decorating the room.

The Captain locked the room shut.

"Doctor. To _mew _and blabber about a _treasure _map, around _this _particular crew, demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic. And I mean that in a very caring way," the Captain said.

Delbert however was not so comforted, "Imbecilic, did you say? Foolishness-"

"May I see the map, please?" she asked, hand held out for the map. After a few gestures forming a conversation between Jim and Delbert, Jim reluctantly threw Captain Amelia the map.

The Captain's eyes widened at the sight of the sphere, "Hmm. Fascinating!"

Kate turned to Mr. Arrow and whispered, "So not all maps look like that?" she asked.

Mr. Arrow bent down to Kate's level, "No Miss Zoolary. This map is unlike any we have encountered."

Kate smiled her thanks before watching the Captain unlock a cupboard and put the map inside it.

"Mr. Hawkins, Miss Zoolary, in the future you will address me as Captain or Ma'am, is that clear?" she asked.

Kate straightened up and replied, "Yes Captain."

When there was no second reply, Captain Amelia turned to glare at Jim, "Mr. Hawkins?"

Jim exhaled, "Yes Ma'am."

Captain Amelia then locked the cupboard with the map inside, "That'll do. Gentlemen this must be kept under lock and key when not in use-"

Kate scoffed when she realised she'd just been addressed in the same category as 'gentlemen'.

The Captain then moved closer to Delbert, "-and Doctor, again, with the greatest possible respect-"

..._that a cat can give to a dog..._Kate couldn't help adding mentally.

"-zip your howling screamer."

"Captain, I can assure you-"

"Let me make this as...mono-syllabic as possible. I don't much care for this crew _you_ hired. They're...how did I describe them Arrow? I said something rather good this morning over coffee."

"A ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots, Ma'am."

"There you go! Poetry."

The Doctor had had quite enough, "Now see here!"

"Doctor! I would love to chat. Tea, cake, the whole sha-bang but I have a ship to launch and _you've _got an outfit to buff up. Mr. Arrow please escort these three _neophytes _to the Galley straightaway. Young Hawkins and Zoolary will be working for our cook Mr. Silver."

Jim stopped fiddling with one of the navigational devices, "Wait what? The _cook_?"

~(Kate's POV)~

I sighed as Delbert and Jim began bickering about the unfairness of the situation. I could sense growing irritation in Mr. Arrow... I couldn't blame him, after all it was his Captain they were talking about.

I slowed down so I was walking next to the large alien.

"I'm so sorry about them! They should stop soon," I apologized on their behalf.

Mr. Arrow looked down at me, "As long as they finish their ramblings soon, there is no need to worry."

I smiled my thanks and watched as the crewmen finished their preparations for take-off. I found out my predictions that Jim and Delbert's complaining would end soon, had been quite wrong.

"That woman! That _feline!_" the Doctor cried. "Whom does she think is working for whom?"

I tried shushing them quiet as we entered the galley but it was no use.

"It's _my _map and she's got me busin' tables!" Jim added. Mr. Arrow suddenly walked towards the two and grabbed their shoulders.

"Enough! I'll not tolerate another cross word about our Captain. There's no finer officer in _this _or any other galaxy," Mr. Arrow boomed.

I suddenly caught the scent of something familiar...but I couldn't quite put my finger on it...

Looking forwards, I could see what looked like a small kitchen and the silhouette of a large man preparing food.

"Mr. Silver!" called Mr. Arrow. The man now known as Mr. Silver stopped cooking and rubbed his hands on his apron.

"Why Mr. Arrow sir! Bringin' such fine distinguished guests into me 'umble galley! 'Ad I known, I'd 'ave tucked in me shirt!" Mr. Silver joked. Every muscle in my body tensed when I saw that his right eye, arm and leg were all robotic. My animal instincts sparked, making it difficult for me to concentrate on not randomly transforming.

I was vaguely aware of a conversation continuing on around me but the animal sides of me were raging inside my head.

I could hear the tiger in me shouting out the loudest. _Danger! Don't you see danger?! Let's get rid of it! We need to get rid of enemy! _

Barely managing to supress the tiger, I heard the Doctor being introduced to Mr. Silver.

"Love the outfit Doc!" said Mr. Silver scanning the suit with his mechanical eye.

'_I'm sure Mr. Silver means well!_' I tried to reason with the animals.

'_No! Danger! Get rid of danger!_' the tiger continued.

The Doctor was now introducing Jim who, to my genuine relief appeared to also believe that Mr. Silver was not good news.

'_Friend in danger! Danger!_' the tiger shouted again. I screwed up my face, I was getting thouroughly sick of the animals now.

I immediately removed the scowl on my face when I heard I was being introduced.

Mr. Silver held out a robotic hand, "Welcome to me kitchen Kate," he greeted.

_'DANGER!' _the tiger screamed...unfortunately, tiger managed to slip through my defenses and came out as a loud roar.

Four pairs of eyes stared at me in shock. It appeared that tiger was much louder today...Unable to speak from sheer embarassment, I began verbally/mentally abusing the tiger.

"Uh - Kate?" Delbert asked me worry clear in his face.

I snapped out of my mental arguement.

"I am so sorry Mr. Silver!" I said with a smile shaking his hand. "I am having slight issues with my Animoprh...ness."

Mr. Silver, choosing to accept my apology, gave a small laugh and went back to cooking.

"Ah don't worry 'bout it lass. But don't you two young rascals be put off by this hunk o' hardware. It was 'ard gettin' used to these gears but they do come in mighty 'andy at times," Mr. Silver said while finishing his cooking. Once it was finished, he served up three bowls of a soupy mixture.

"Here!" he said, thrusting a bowl in my hands. "'Ave a taste of me famous Bonzabeast Stew."

I gave it a small sniff.

_Smell good. Eat all now, _said the Dog.

I watched as Delbert lapped up a little and smiled at Mr. Silver.

"Mm! Delightfully tangy, yet robust," Delbert complimented.

I looked back at my bowl, ignoring the rest of the conversation. Hesitantly, I picked up the spoon and tried a bit of the stew. It _was _good...

I gave a few glances at the rest of the guys, to check if their eyes were looking in my direction. No...they were all watching Silver and Delbert.

I quickly put the bowl to my lips, tipped my head back and effectively swallowed the rest of the stew with thanks to my inner dog. I smiled. I was enjoying life on board already.

I jumped when I heard Delbert's cry of alarm. Although it appeared he was just startled by an eye that had popped out from his stew.

Mr. Silver was laughing at the Doctor whilst Jim was eyeing his bowl of stew suspiciously.

All of a sudden I sensed suprise coming from both Jim and Delbert. Putting my now empty bowl on a nearby table, I peered over Jim's shoulder to see a flying pink blob.

"Morph! You jiggle-headed blob of mischief! So that's where you was hidin'!" said Mr. Silver.

"What is that thing?" Jim asked.

The blob morphed into a miniature Jim and mimmicked his movements. I smiled brightly. I thought this thing was pretty cute!

"He's a Morph!" Mr. Silver replied to Jim's question. "I rescued the little shapeshifter on Proteus 1."

The Morph named Morph, noticed me and flew towards where I was standing. After flying around my head, Morph began making cute parrot-like noises and started playing with the hood of my coat.

When he got bored of my coat, he flew back to Mr. Silver and nuzzled the cyborg's cheek.

"He took a side to me. We've bin together ever since," said Mr. Silver.

There was a loud bell tolling outside…or rather…there was a bell tolling outside, but my animal senses decided to turn up the volume. One of the various downsides to being an Animorph.

Mr. Arrow explained the meaning of the bell, "We're about to get under way. Would you like to observe the launch Doctor?" he asked, bowing slightly for the Doctor.

"Would I!? Does an active galactic nucleus have super-luminal jets?" the Doctor cried.

After a momentary awkward silence, Delbert clarified, "I'll follow you," before walking out of the galley. Jim began to follow but Mr. Arrow stopped him.

"Mr. Hawkins and Miss Zoolary will stay here, in _your _charge Mr. Silver," Mr. Arrow said.

Hearing choking noises behind me, I saw Mr. Silver coughing over the pot of stew. Jim took a few steps back. Deciding I should probably not get involved, I sat down on one of the chairs, playing with Morph who had rejoined me.

"Beggin' your pardon sir, but uh-" started Mr. Silver, recovered from his coughing fit.

"Captains orders! See to it that they are kept busy!" boomed Mr. Arrow.

Jim and Mr. Silver began protesting, but Mr. Arrow had already left.

It grew eerily quiet.

"So. Captain's put you wif me eh?" Mr. Silver said, walking around Jim.

"Whatever," Jim mumbled. I saw them eye each other off briefly before Mr. Silver turned back his cooking.

"Who'd be a 'umble cyborg, to argue with a Captain?"

I watched as Jim picked up a purp from a large barrel. Tiger was getting restless again.

Jim spoke while tossing the purp between his hands, "You know, these purps are kinda like the ones back home. On Montressor. You ever been there?"

I jolted. The purps! That was the scent I couldn't remember! They smelt exactly like the Benbow Inn and slightly of smoke. Noticing my discovery, the tiger grew even more irritated.

"Can't says I 'ave Jimbo," Mr. Silver replied.

Jim sat on a kitchen benchtop and took a bite of the purp, "Come to think of it, just before I left, I met this old guy. He was looking for a cyborg buddy of his."

"Is that so?" asked Mr. Silver.

I stared at Jim. What was he doing?!

Jim was oblivious to my rather obvious worry, "Yeah. What was that old salamander's name? Oh yeah. Bones. Billy Bones."

I looked at Mr. Silver to see his reaction.

"Bones? _Bones_? Mm. Ain't ringing any bells. Must've been another cyborg. There's a slew of cyborgs, roaming this port!"

_LIAR!_ Shouted tiger. Morph, apparently sensing my own distress nuzzled my cheek.

A whistling which made my ears feel like they were going to explode, sounded, followed by Mr. Arrow's voice announcing that the launch was about to take place.

"Eh, off with you two now," said Mr. Silver, pushing Jim towards me. "And watch the launch, there'll be plenty o' work waitin' for you afterwards."

Morph flew back to Mr. Silver, and I followed after Jim. My ears picked up the sound of Mr. Silver's voice as we went up the stairs, "We best be keeping a sharp eye on these ones, eh Morph? We wouldn't want them strayin' into t'ings they shouldn't."

* * *

**A/N: YAY!!!! Sorry for the wait guys!! :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!!REVIEW!! :)**


	4. Important Awareness Notice

**Author's Note: **

****IMPORTANT** **

**Okay there seems to be a bit of confusion with the whole Animorph thing because  
a) It seems Animorphs is already used in a 'published' series of books I was not aware of until recently  
and  
b) I'm lazy and didn't explain it properly...**

**SO! I will now clarify what an Animorph is here and the rest will be in the next chapter because I'm too lazy to rewrite it!  
Basically an Animorph is a race that can 'morph' into various animals. Other planets have issues with Animorphs because they change into animals and thus are treated as so.**

When an Animporh morphs into an animal, the clothes they are wearing don't disappear and reappear as they change from human to animal, and vice versa. For example, if an Animorph changed into a mouse, the clothes would fall off and when the Animorph changed back into human, they wouldn't be wearing any clothes; and if an Animorph changed into something like an elephant, the clothes would tear....The coat that Kate's mother gave to her is a special coat designed to stop that from happening, so when Kate morphs, she won't have to worry about her clothes coming off her during her time as an animal.

**So I hope this helps with anyone's confusion...if not...use your imagination :P Anyway thanks to all who're reading this coz you guyz are awesome!**

**~Tigeresssa**


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